


A Tricker’s Apprentice

by TheKryomancer



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Family Feels, Found Family, Gabriel is a good dad, Hurt/Comfort, Other, This is how Gabe should’ve been found, curse you kripke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 14:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16199738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKryomancer/pseuds/TheKryomancer
Summary: Elin didn’t care about the war between Heaven and Hell. She didn’t care If Earth got caught in the middle. All she cared about was finding him.





	1. Alive

She didn’t know what drew her there. It was probably out of morbid curiosity, or perhaps directly out of spite for the deities that seemed to loathe her. She had caught wind of a meeting of Pagans—there was a vibe similar to the meeting that took place so many years ago. One of urgency. That meeting ended in tragedy for many, including herself.

This meeting seemed to have more pagans than before. It was a meeting Elin felt very out of place in, especially since the discovery of Loki’s true identity. An added divide was that she refused to eat humans. It seemed like Aphrodite lured several men and women for this feast. It made Elin’s stomach crawl. She popped a bite-sized Butterfinger into her mouth as she looked at the inhabitants of the room. Everyone was chatting with their champagne glasses in hand. Elin’s eyes fell on a familiar goddess—Kalí. Her lips curled into a sneer as she saw the dreadful woman. The two had a mutual disdain for each other that went back centuries now.

“Elin,” a voice a called. Her attention was directed somewhere else. The man who called her name had a deep Irish accent. His piercing dark red eyes stared at her curiously. He wore an all black suit with a dying rose in the pocket of the jacket. He ran a hand through his gray hair as he approached her. “I didn’t think you’d show your face. Especially after what happened to that traitor.”

Elin took a deep breath and evened out her anger. Now was not the time to make a scene. “Arawn, I didn’t think  _ you’d _ be here. Not after you were kicked out of your territory. By  _ demons _ , no less.”

Arawn frowned. “Who told you?” His tone was sharp and evasive.

Elin smirked at his stiff and defensive nature. “You did. Just now.” The Celtic deity paled at the realization he was tricked. The shock quickly became anger. Elin took a KitKat bar from the messenger bag on her shoulder. She placed the chocolate bar in the pocket of Arawn’s suit that held the rose. “Have a good evening, Arawn. Hope you get the Underworld back.” She patted the pocket and walked away to the tables that were set up for the gods. She took a seat in between Poseidon and Māui, and waited for order to settle in. Māui was an old friend, a trickster like her. But their friendship went sour after the big reveal. She wasn’t on good terms with any of the Pagans now.

Kalí called the meeting into order, by her side was Thor, Balder’s younger brother. It didn’t take her too long to replace her dead lover—only a year or so. Elin didn’t pay attention to Kalí’s ranting or her delusional ideas of how to stop Asmodeus. She was too focused on the warm sensation that touched her chest just below her throat. She took in a sharp breath and raised a hand to touch the ring on her necklace. She was so used to it being cold and dull that she had forgotten what it felt like when it was warm. She snapped out of her daze just in time to hear her name be called. It was Kalí.

“It’s hard to believe you actually showed your face,” the goddess sneered. “After everything you’ve done–”

“After everything  _ I’ve _ done?” Elin snapped. She stood abruptly, the chair she sat in clattering to the floor. “I’m not the one who got him killed. In all your  _ pride _ , all your  _ bloodlust _ .  _ You _ got him killed.”

Kalí’s composure faltered ever slightly, and Elin noted this. She was going to rain hell down upon these Pagans.

“It’s adorable that a toddler wants to sit at the adults’ table.” Kalí mocked. All of the Pagans laughed. Elin wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“Be that as it may,” she folded her arms over her chest. “I am a toddler who was trained by one of the most powerful beings in existence and I’ve come to be even more powerful than you. So I think it’s time you reconsider who should  _ really _ be sitting at the adults’ table.” Elin glanced at all of the Pagans who froze in place. Their laughter halted into silence. None of them dared to challenge either of them. Kalí might have been a force to be reckoned with, but Elin was the one who knew how to make them all tick. She knew how to destroy them without even laying a finger on them.

Elin took a breath and gave a bitter smile. “If you really want to stop Asmodeus then I suggest you to praying to…” she paused for a second to think before giving them a poison laced smile, “yourselves.” She picked up her bag and headed for the exit. “I’d say it was fun to see you all again but that would be lying and I promised to stop doing that.”

Once outside of the too-luxurious-to-be-real hotel, Elin pulled the hood of her hoodie up over her black hair. She really needed to cut it, and wash it. Both would be good right about now. Snapping her fingers, Elin appeared in the lobby of a run down motel off the edge of nowheresville, population no one cares. She checked in and got to her room, taking no time to throw her bag full of candy onto the bed and head to take a shower. A week’s worth of dirt and grime had built up on her skin. Once she was completely clean and hair was washed she decided it was time for a change in wardrobe. She stared at herself in the mirror and lifted up a pair of golden scissors that she had stolen from the Fate sisters years ago. She winced as she heard the  _ snip  _ of the scissors as she began cutting her hair. A tight knot formed itself in her chest as a rush of memories came flooding into her mind like a broken dam.

* * *

 

**_Snip! Snip!_ **

_ “You’re pulling my hair,” Elin groaned. If she had been only a few years older then he would have allowed her to cut her own hair. _

_ “How else am I going to cut your hair?” He questioned, cutting another chunk off. He was not created for this. _

_ “Are you sure you’re doing it right?” She asked him. She had enough sass in her for both of them and she wasn’t afraid to unleash it. “Let me do it.” She looked back to reach for the scissors but instead he grabbed her wrist and forced her to face forward again. She pouted and crossed her arms. “Meanie.” _

_ He snorted. “What are you? Six?” _

_ “I’m old enough to cut my own hair.” She grumbled stubbornly. She hates that he treated her like a child. Well, she was a child. A  _ **_very_ ** _ powerful child. _

_ “You’re one hundred years old. You can barely use your powers properly.” He chided. _

_ “Pleeeaaaassseee Gabriel?” She whined. Looking back at him, she widened her eyes and gave him the look that usually got her whatever she wanted. Not in this instance though. _

_ “Nice try, kid. I invented that.” He patted her head. “I’ll be done before you can say Black Plague.” _

_ “Black Plague!” She shouted. “You’re not done yet.” _

_ “You’re not funny,” Gabriel deadpanned. _

* * *

By the time she finished cutting her hair the memory had run its course through her mind. That was from a simpler time, one she tried to forget. It wasn’t that she hated the memories or the nostalgia that accompanied, nor was it that she hated  _ him _ . The memories were just too painful, and everytime she thought about them she was sent back into her routine of openly avoiding anything and everything that involved the outside world—this cycle would go on for months before she snapped out only to relapse a month later. She couldn’t take the angst that accompanied the thought of him.

She had no choice  _ but  _ to think of him now.

Wrapped in the towel, Elin sat on the bed and took off the necklace and removed the silver ring from the chain. She tossed the chain carelessly to the side—it lacked the sentimental value that the ring held and besides, she could always replace the chain. The ring was irreplaceable. 

It sat in the palm of her hand and it still felt just as warm as it had hours ago. It wasn’t a burning heat (but the way it felt against her palm after so many years it might as well be burning), but it was a rather comforting heat—it resembled something similar to what one might find in affection or in human contact. The Enochian writing on the inside glowed a faint gold and Elin felt her chest tighten again. It hadn’t glowed in years— _ decades _ , even.

That could only mean one thing. It took all of her will power to swallow the reality and  _ severity  _ of the symbol. God, she felt like she was seconds away from passing out.

“He’s alive.” She choked out. Covering her mouth with her free hand, Elin stifled the sobs that followed.

Gabriel was alive, and possibly in trouble.


	2. Kansas

She heard about them through the grapevine—deities and creatures too scared to cross her had warned her about them. The pair of brothers that had supposedly been to hell and back, faced the Devil and  _ God himself _ , and had been responsible for the disarray that followed the Judeo-Christian apocalypse. She was meant to fear these two but the only emotion that was triggered at the mention of them was complete and utter bewilderment that they had  _ lived _ this long through all of that disaster.

It wasn’t hard to track them down. A simple spell that was used from a stolen spellbook that belonged to a former Grand Coven member. Elin loved the influence and fear she had over people: the grip she held had helped in multiple situations that she wasn’t able to quite get herself out of. It used to be that she could go to Gabriel whenever she needed to be bailed out of a situation, but he up and left without so much of a goodbye or explanation that Elin had no choice  _ but _ to use her influence.

Lebanon, Kansas was Elin’s destination. She had so many ideas to get the Winchesters’ attention but starting off on their bad side was not a good idea. She could trade information for help; at least that  _ might _ get their cooperation for a bit. So, with the ring on her finger and her messenger bag of sweets, Elin got on the first bus to Lebanon. She considered just teleporting but she needed to conserve as much energy as possible in case the brothers tried something. Something like a stake to the heart.

* * *

Again, all of their leads ended dry. Sam and Dean couldn’t figure out a way to get their mom and Jack out of Apocalypse World, and Donatello was taking some much needed R&R, as per Sam’s request. Then Dean’s cell phone rang.

“Hello?” He answered, not really sure who was on the other end. It was an unknown caller and the possibility of a demon—or perhaps Asmodeus  _ himself _ —wasn’t out of the question. He needed to take this cautiously.

Sam glanced up at his older brother from the lore book, curiosity and confusion evident on his face.

_ “Dean Winchester?”  _ A female voice asked from the other line. She spoke almost like she knew him on a personal level; like old friends speaking for the first time in years. But Dean didn’t recognize her voice.

“Who is this?” If he didn’t get a straightforward answer he was hanging up and not giving the mysterious caller a second thought.

_ “You and your brother need to meet me at Bonbon Royaume at six p.m. I have something that can help you two. And wear something presentable.”  _ Then she hung up. So much for Dean not giving them a second thought.

“Who was it?” Sam stared at his brother. Dean shut off his phone and tossed it onto the table.

“I don’t know. Some chick. Said she wanted us to meet her at some fancy schmansy restaurant.”

Sam’s eyes darted for a moment, trying to figure out a number of possibilities why. He then resorted to just asking Dean. “Did she say?”

“She said she had something to help us. Whatever that means.”

“Maybe she can help us with mom and Jack.” Sam told him. Dean shook his head for a moment, but then he paused. If this woman could help them get Jack and their mother back, it had to be worth a try.

“Okay, fine. We’ll go. But we’ll have to be careful. There’s no telling what this chick is.”

* * *

Three painfully slow hours and twenty king-sized candy bars later, Elin sat in Bonbon Royaume at a table set for three. Her dark red dress hung from her figure almost flawlessly. She twisted the ring on her finger, butterflies in her stomach. She needed this to go well.  _ Gabriel _ needed this to go well.

“Right this way,” was uttered by a waiter who escorted two men over to where Elin sat. One of the men was freakishly tall, and she almost wanted to ask how the weather was for him up there. The man next to him was shorter and had green eyes that seemed to be holding a suspicion of her. The men sat and the waiter left to go get them drinks.

“So,” Elin began. She leaned her elbows on the table and folded her hands, resting her chin on them. “Which one of you is Dean Winchester?”

The green eyed one cleared his throat. “That would be me.” He jabbed his thumb towards his younger brother. “This is Sam.”

“I know his name,” Elin added quickly. She caught them off guard. She was very straight forward.

“And you would be…?” Sam trailed, expecting her to finish.

“My name is Elin,” she went back to fiddling with the ring on her finger. “I have a deal for you.”

“And that would be what exactly? Are you a demon?” Dean asked the last part quietly after the waiter came back and poured some red wine into all three of their glasses.

“Look,” Elin took a short sip of her wine, “I know what you want. You want Jack and your mother back from whatever godforsaken world they were thrown into.”

“How do you–”

She cut off Sam. “I also know how to get them out without your Prophet working himself to death. Speaking of which, Asmodeus put some sort of spell on the poor guy. He’s supposed to report to the lackluster demon whenever he uncovers something in the tablet.”

They were speechless. How on earth did she know all of this?

“And how do you know this?” Sam asked before a sip of water. The wine reminded him too much of blood and he was  _ not _ going to open that old wound.

“I have…” Elin thought of the right word. “...connections.”

“Like what?” Dean demanded. “What kind of “connections”?”

“The kind that you personally wouldn’t trust.” She replied, the ring seeming more interesting than either of the brothers’ faces.

“What’s with the ring?” Dean asked suddenly. Elin’s face reddened and she shoved her hands into her lap out of sight from either Winchester.

“Bottom line? I know how to help you two.”

“And what do you get out of it?” Sam wasn’t going to jump the gun too soon. It seemed like this whole thing was too good to be true.

“I need you two to help me find someone.” She explained. Her eyes grew soft, unlike the hardened and distant brown color they were the entirety of the conversation. Sam wondered what made her so cold.

“And if we refuse?” Dean spoke. Elin knew that tone all too well. He was attempting to challenge her.

“Then you don’t get the information you and your brother so desperately need.” She snapped. For a second Sam swore her eyes shone a dim gold. He brushed it off. “I don’t  _ have _ to help you. I could let you two go back to that bunker of yours and endlessly search for spells like searching for water in the Sahara. I’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart. Take my deal or not. I came to you because  _ I’m _ desperate and I thought if I helped you then you’d help me.”

No, Sam was right. Her eyes definitely glowed gold. He needed to defuse the tension before something bad happened.

“Whoever you’re looking for, they must be important to you, huh?” Sam said gently. Elin visibly relaxed.

“He’s the most important person in the world.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Dean’s stomach twisted. All she wanted was help in exchange for helping them.

“Alright, we’ll do it.” Dean told her. That surprised Sam, but just barely. He knew Dean wasn’t heartless. “So, how do we get them out of whatever hell they're trapped in?”

Elin took a deep breath. “The Greek God, Hermes? He can help you. He has a key to everywhere. He’ll give it to you, but you  _ have  _ to give him something you stole. He can tell if you haven’t. He is the God of Thieves, after all.”

“So, we get the key and he’ll show us how to use it?” Sam questioned.

Elin’s face twisted. “Not exactly. He’ll give you the key.  _ I  _ can show you how to use it, though. It’s not really that hard, anyway. Just put it into the keyhole of any door and voilà! You have the door to whatever world you choose. Simple.”

“Sounds easy enough.” Dean chugged his wine a single motion. “So, who’s this guy you want us to find?”

“That information comes  _ after  _ you have your friends. I’m a woman of my word.” The waiter came back to take their orders. Elin grinned and clapped her hands together. “So, gentlemen. Dinner is on me.”

* * *

There was so many items they could have brought to Hermes that were stolen. In the end, they agreed to bring a low level spell book that they stole from witches a few years back. Hermes gave them the key and, to their surprise, explained how to use it. Once back at the bunker, Dean called Castiel, and Sam called Elin to tell her they were going to use the key. She was over quicker than they expected, and Castiel didn’t like the vibes she was giving off. He knew she was a Trickster, but her presence there seemed highly unnecessary. That was, until Sam and Dean explained her role in the whole thing. That still didn’t persuade him, and he took no time in revealing what Elin really was.

At first, the brothers were pissed,  _ beyond  _ pissed even. But when they realized what she was didn’t change the fact that she still helped them and still needed their help, they put her status aside.

Dean and Castiel were the ones to go through the door—Sam stayed behind to watch Elin and made sure nothing came out of the door while it was open. There was a rush of emotions once the pair had come back with Jack  _ and  _ Mary very much alive. Shaken, but they were alive. That was all that mattered.

Castiel healed Mary and she went to clean herself off, but not before being acquainted with the woman who made it all possible. Jack took this time to sort himself out and confide in his father about what he witnessed on the other side.

Sam and Dean walked over Elin who stood in the doorway to the War room. Her arms were crossed and she had a soft smile on her face.

“So, now it’s time for us to help you,” Sam smiled. Dean nodded.

“How are you looking for? I’m sure we can help you.” Dean told her.

Elin swallowed a lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

“You probably know him.” She took a deep breath. “Gabriel, the Archangel.”


	3. The Plan

“Are you sure? Elin, you need to be one hundred percent sure about this.” Sam told her as he paced back and forth. It couldn’t be true. She was wrong. Gabriel couldn’t be alive. He died saving them from Lucifer. There was no way.

“I’m sure!” Elin stood up from her chair. She pulled off the ring on her finger and held it between her thumb and index finger. “ _ This _ doesn’t lie. It only glows when Gabriel is near  _ or  _ if he needs me to contact him. He’s alive.”

“Okay, look. There’s gotta be some sort of logical explanation for this.” Dean gestured to the ring. “Are you sure it’s not broken?”

Elin looked at him like he just insulted her mother. Well, she would have preferred him to insult her mother rather than what atrocious words came from his lips. She felt like punching him.

“No, it’s not broken!” She exclaimed with a death glare toward the older Winchester. If she wanted to, she could crush him like a bug. “It  _ doesn’t _ break.”

“Where the hell did you get that thing anyway?” Dean snapped.

* * *

_ It was midnight and she couldn’t sleep. She felt like there was some kind of force holding onto her skull, preventing her from falling into the comfort that was sleep. He had been gone for  _ **_days_ ** _ and still no sign of him. He promised to be back soon. This wasn’t soon. _

_ “Gabriel, I swear to all things sweet and sugary, I will kill you if you don’t get back in ten minutes.” She mumbled into the pillow, her voice so muffled even she could barely make out her own words. She flipped onto her back and stared at the wooden ceiling of her room. She could hear the wind outside the window and patter of snowflakes assaulting the glass of the windows. A winter storm is  _ **_not_ ** _ what she needed right now. _

_ “Geez, all you had to do was ask nicely,” Gabriel said, suddenly in the room. Elin screamed and toppled off her bed, landing face first onto the floor. She groaned and sat up, lifting her pain ridden body onto the bed. Gabriel stood at the foot of her bed and snapped his fingers. The candle on her bedside table lit. He was holding something in his left hand. _

_ “What do you have there? Is that why you’ve been gone for days?” Elin practically wanted to bondard him with questions, especially ‘ _ **_where the hell were you_ ** _?’ _

_ Gabriel sat down next to her and opened his palm, a shiny silver ring in the middle of it. There was strange writing on the inside of the band. It was a language she had never seen before. _

_ “It’s for you,” he explained. “That’s enochian.” He pointed to the text on the inside of the ring. _

_ Elin picked it up and examined it. “I don’t speak enochian. Isn’t it a dead language?” _

_ “It’s not dead,” Gabriel scoffed and plucked the ring out of her hand. “And if you  _ **_must_ ** _ know, it says “Promise to always come home”. Meaning, that no matter how far away we are from each other, you can always come to me.” _

_ “Wait,” she paused and her eyes lit up. “No matter  _ **_how far_ ** _ we are? Does this mean I can–” _

_ “Yes,” Gabriel interrupted. “You can be your own, independent Trickster.” He smiled at her. “I’ll never stop worrying about you, you know that right?” _

_ “Yeah,” she took the ring and placed it on the ring finger of her left hand. “I know, Gabe. And I’ll never stop being that troublesome kid you took in like, what? Four hundred years ago?” _

_ He nodded followed by a laugh. “Almost five. Time flies. I can’t believe you’re so grown up.” _

* * *

 

“Hey, earth to Elin!” Dean snapped his fingers in front of her face. “You there?” Elin jumped back to life with a gasp. Sam and Dean flinched as she clenched her jaw. Elin jammed the ring back onto her finger and walked towards the exit of the bunker, frustration practically radiating off of her.

“Where are you going?” Sam called after her.

“Out!” She shouted and slammed the door shut.

* * *

 

Elin’s blood was boiling—no. It was on fire. She felt the fiery heat of a thousand suns burning in her chest and she hated it. Gabriel was important to her, he was her family. And he left. She kept the promise to always come back to him; looks like he didn’t keep his. He never was good at keeping promises.

But right now she needed to put her anger aside. Her informant was going to be there any moment.

“Elin, it’s good to see you again.”

There he is.

The demon smiled curtly at her. His black eyes seemed so dark and dangerous, yet at the same time held fear and dread. Gerard had been her hellish informant for years now—ever since Gabriel’s demise at the hands of his brother Elin did her best to keep tabs on Hell.

“I need answers, Gerard.” Elin spoke shortly, her annoyance and anger seemed to be bubbling to the surface. It made the demon uneasy but he wouldn’t show it and let her gain the upper hand.

“Regarding?” His voice was almost suave, enough to sweep any girl off her feet.

Elin crossed her arms. “What do you know about Gabriel being alive?”

Gerard took a sharp breath. “I know a lot about the subject. But before we get to the details, I need something in exchange.” He gave a uneasy smile. “Trickster blood is  _ very  _ hard to come by, and it’s essential for certain spells.”

Elin rolled her sleeve up and held out her arm. “Okay, whatever. Just tell me what you know.”

Gerard pulled out a knife and twirled it in his hand for a moment before bringing it towards her skin. Elin pulled her arm away with a tisk.

“Nu-uh. Not until I know this info is worth my time.” She folded her arm back into herself. “Now spill.”

Gerard sighed. “Asmodeus has Gabriel locked up in the dungeons. He needs Gabriel. Asmodeus recently acquired the Archangel blade, which, according to the lore, is only effective in the hands–”

“Of an Archangel.” Elin finished. Sighing, she nodded. “Great. Asmodeus is still a pain in my ass.”

“So…” Gerard rubbed his hands together. “About that blood.”

“Yeah…” Elin trailed off and pulled an Angel blade from a pocket inside her green camouflage jacket. “About the blood.” Before Gerard realized what she was doing, Elin stabbed the blade through Gerard’s chest and he glowed orange that flickered for a moment before his body fell lifelessly to the ground. “Thanks for the info.” She used his jacket to wipe off the blood on the blade before putting it back into her pocket. Snapping her fingers, Elin appeared at a playground with a sand box.

She stood there, waiting for someone or something to notice her presence. What she was going to do next twisted a knot in her chest. She knew this was risky. She knew Gabriel wouldn’t be happy with her for this. She had no other choice.

A whirlwind of energy emerged from the sandbox and two well dressed figures came out of the energy. They both held blades that matched Elin’s.

“What do you want, Trickster?” A woman growled.

“I want to talk to your boss: Lucifer.” Elin crossed her arms. “I know he’s taken the throne. But I need to talk to him.”

“You will do no such thing!” The man to the female Angel’s left shouted. Elin rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers, the vessel exploding everywhere.

“Now,” she took a step towards the remaining Angel who had a look of horror on her face. “Let me talk to your boss.” The female Angel nodded and disappeared back into the light. Moments later Lucifer stepped out.

He frowned at Elin. “What do you want, kid?”

“I have a deal to make with you.” She stated simply. Lucifer scoffed at her. Elin continued. “Look, I know you’re getting tired of having your ass kicked by Asmodeus. But he has a weapon. One that can and  _ will  _ kill you. An Archangel blade.”

“Hate to break it to you sister, but an Archangel blade can only be used by an Archangel like moi.” Lucifer pointed to himself. “And I don’t think I’ll be sticking  _ myself  _ with that knife.”

She rolled her eyes at how pompous he was. Elin held up four fingers. “Let’s do a head count, shall we? Michael is in the cage—” she put a finger down, “—you’re standing right here—” another finger went down, “—and Raphael is dead.” She put down one last finger, leaving only the pinky. “So that leaves your baby brother, Gabriel.”

“Who I killed.”

“Or did you? Because as of right now, Asmodeus has him trapped in Hell.”

The fallen Angel let out an exasperated sigh. “What are you saying?”

“I propose a deal. You distract Asmodeus and keep him out of Hell long enough for me to sneak in, get Gabriel, get the blade, and get the  _ hell  _ out of there.”

He hummed. “And what do I get?”

“You can have the Archangel blade.” She told him. “I’ll have Gabriel back so there’s no need for the blade.”

“Fine. When do you want me to lure the little urchin out?”

“Tonight. Ten p.m. That’s when I’ll go to Hell and get Gabriel out.”

* * *

 

She knew Sam and Dean would be mad. Probably beyond furious. They would shout at her, threaten to kick her out. In the end it wouldn’t work. She wasn’t scared of them and she could do so much worse to them. She could make them inside out or take away every nerve in their body. She could remove their tongues, or just slowly kill them from the inside out. But at this point, it would be counterproductive.

When she got into the bunker, Elin prepared herself for the hellstorm that would soon arrive. She glanced at the clock. Eight p.m.

“Where have you been?” Dean asked as soon as she entered the room. She snapped her fingers and took a bite of the chocolate bar she now held. She was a stress eater and she hated it.

“I was getting information from a source. And I may have helped us.” She explained through a mouthful of chocolate.

“You know where Gabriel is?” Castiel inquired, unsure as to what she was up to.

Elin nodded. “He’s in Hell, trapped there by Asmodeus. Along with an Archangel blade.”

Castiel‘s eyes widened. “Are you sure? The Archangel blade has been missing for millennia. How would Asmodeus have gotten it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care. All I care about is getting Gabriel back.”

“How are we going to get into Hell without being caught?” Sam spoke up. He was leaning against a bookshelf. “There’s probably demons everywhere. Not to mention the risk of running into Asmodeus.”

“I… kind of have that covered…” Elin rubbed the back of her neck.

“What did you do?” Castiel demanded.

“Okay, so I kind of talked to Lucifer and–”

“Kind of?” Dean shouted. “There’s no “kind of” talking to Lucifer!”

“Look,” Elin’s eyes glowed gold. The color was more prominent than before. It wasn’t subtle anymore. “I made a deal with him. He distracts Asmodeus and I’ll give him the blade.”

“You’ll what?” Castiel growled. He stomped over to her and grabbed her by the neck. “Do you know what you’ve done?”

“I wasn’t going to give him the blade!” She exclaimed. “I needed him to distract Ass-modeus so you three could nab Gabriel and the blade. Easy-peasy.”

Dean ran a hand over his face and pointed at Elin. “Your plan better work. If not, I won’t hesitate to gut you.”

Castiel let go of her neck and Elin didn’t hesitate to rub the sore spot. “It won’t,” She snapped. “I’m excellent at persuasion. I got you three to help me, didn’t I?”

Sam shrugged. “She has a point.”

“When do we go into Hell and liberate Gabriel and nab the blade?” Dean asked, taking a sip from the beer he had on the table.

“I told Lucifer ten p.m. so be ready by then.”

“We have time to prepare.” Castiel walked out of the room, glaring at Elin all the while. She stuck her tongue out at him and took a bite of her chocolate.

* * *

She sat in the library with Jack and Mary. Jack was reading something—probably a lore book since that is all that there seems to be in the bunker. Mary was watching Elin the whole time, trying her best to settle the Trickster’s nerves. Elin couldn’t stay still. She washed the dirty dishes, tried to read three different books, even ate six chocolate bars. Her stomach was queasy and she immediately regretted eating all of that chocolate. Nothing seemed to occupy her for long. In short, she was a big ball of nerves.

“Don’t worry,” Mary said gently. They were supposed to be words of encouragement. “If anyone can get him back it’s my boys.” She gave Elin a soft smile. Elin looked at her, eyes glowing intensely gold.

“I’m not worried that they won’t bring him back. I’m worried that they  _ will _ .” Elin explained.

“What do you mean?” Mary inquired. Jack sat there, book forgotten as he listened intently to the conversation.

Taking in a sharp breath, Elin glanced at the clock. It was half past ten. “It’s comp–”

She was cut off by the sound of the bunker door opening and closing.

“They’re back.” Elin whimpered.


	4. Gabriel

She had  _ never  _ gotten sick before. In the almost eight hundred years she had been alive, Elin never got sick. But the moment Dean and Castiel brought a severely beaten and bloody Gabriel into the bunker, who was half conscious and probably didn’t even realize she was there, Elin immediately released the contents of her stomach onto the bunker’s wooden floor. All of the chocolate she had eaten in the last two hours or so was now in a heaping pile at her feet. Mary and Jack had rushed to her side, pulling her hair out of her face and ensuring she didn’t fall.

The ring on her finger was burning,  _ blistering  _ her skin, even though it really wasn’t. That’s how it felt. She thought all of her senses had been dialed up to eleven, but she couldn’t hear a thing. She couldn’t hear Mary asking if she was okay, or Sam tell her where Dean and Castiel were putting Gabriel. All she could see was the blur of tears as her esophagus burned, saliva thick with the taste of stomach fluid and half digested chocolate.

When she finally got back to her senses, Elin had a rush of adrenaline.

“Where’s Gabriel?” Her voice was shaky and hoarse. Mary and Sam exchanged looks. He was reluctant to answer. “Where is Gabriel?” Elin’s voice became more angry. She was in no mood to deal with their shit.

“Room twelve.” Sam stuttered out. He was  _ not  _ going to have an angry, deadly, take-no-shit Trickster kill him because he decided not to tell her where Gabriel was.

Elin nodded and pulled herself from Jack and Mary’s grips, taking shaky, uneven steps out of the library and towards the hallway to the rooms. She didn’t realize she was at room twelve until Castiel had almost knocked into her. He stopped dead in his tracks, and in doing so caused Dean to run into his back. The Angel didn’t even flinch at the contact.

“How is he?” Elin whispered. Castiel gave her a somber look.

“He’s in less than ideal shape. I managed to heal a few of the more severe wounds but the rest is up for him to heal.” The Seraph took in a breath and laid a hand on her shoulder. “His grace is very weak. It will take him weeks, possibly months to be back to full strength.”

“But he  _ will  _ be back to full strength.” She said it more of a question than a statement. However, Castiel nodded.

“His physical wounds will heal. The emotional ones…” he trailed, not wanting to reveal the reality of it all. Castiel has never seen his brother so broken, so  _ helpless _ . He didn’t even want to accept the reality. “Asmodeus did more than just torture him.”

Elin didn’t want to hear anymore. “Is he resting?”

“Yeah,” Dean finally spoke up. “He’s asleep. You can go in there if you want. But I don’t recommend waking him.”

“I won’t.” She walked past them and opened the door quietly. The room was dimly lit—the only source of light after she had shut the door was a lamp on the bedside table a foot or two away from Gabriel. She couldn’t see his face clearly, but she could see it enough to know he was in horrendous condition. She quietly pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat there, leaning her head on her fist. She watched the slow rise and fall of his chest. The ring on her finger glowed dimly in the darkness, the warmth was no longer welcoming. It was irritating. Everything was irritating, from the tick-tock of the clock above Gabriel’s bed, to the low whistle her nose made when she would breathe in.

Elin didn’t know how long she sat there, and she didn’t even notice she had fallen asleep. What woke her up was the nightmare she had been having with a mix of the bed squeaking as the body that laid atop it moved. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the light helping her see just barely. Gabriel was attempting to sit up. She jumped from the chair and gently pushed him back onto the bed, not wanting him to strain.

“Easy, Gabe.” She muttered. He furrowed his brows at the voice. Then it clicked.

“Elin?” His voice was so hoarse and quiet. But it was still so familiar to her ears that Elin almost flinched. She nodded.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“What are you doing here?” He asked. She didn’t know what to tell him. Should she talk about how she found him? How Sam, Dean, and Castiel knew where to look? It was like a thousand bees flying in her brain, all bumping into each other but none being useful enough to help.

“I’m the reason the Winchesters and Castiel were able to find you.” She stated. She was hoping to leave it at that. “Now, you need to rest.”

“I’ll rest when I know  _ why  _ you decided to come for me.”

She scoffed. “I was worried.”

“Were you worried or trying to prove a point?”

Her jaw clenched, and Gabriel could see her eyes start to glow gold in the darkness. “I don’t need to impress you anymore. I learned a long time ago that I didn’t need too.” She had said that with a lot more bitterness than she intended, but it became hard to hide her feelings when everything was consuming her brain at once. All filters went out the window. That mask she wore to trick everyone into thinking she didn’t care about who she hurt, it was gone. She was vulnerable and exposed and  _ weak _ .

“Elin, what did you do?” Gabriel knew when she lost her temper, she was losing her grip of herself, of her plans, and what her goal was. She had askew judgement which caused her to bite off more than she could chew.

“Whatever it took to get you back!” She snapped. “All I wanted was to get you back! I don’t even know why I should have bothered! You ditched me, and probably never gave me a second thought. You didn’t seem to care when you decided to grow a pair and ultimately got yourself  _ killed _ !” She shouted. For once when speaking to her, Gabriel was at a loss for words. All of her anger, her malice towards him, her resentment. It was locked away for so long and now it overflowed onto the surface. He didn’t blame her.

“Gum drop,” And there it was. The nickname.

“You’ll be fine in a few weeks.” She headed towards the door and swung it open. The hallway light was blinding. “All I wanted to do was make sure you were safe and alive.”

She didn’t care he was calling her name. She didn’t care Sam and Dean and Castiel kept asking her what was going on. All she cared was that she was leaving and would never have to set foot there again.

* * *

 

A few hours later, Gabriel had regained enough strength to walk. He sat in the library with Sam, Dean and Castiel.

“We could have used her,” Castiel was the one to break the silence. Gabriel visibly flinched at the mention of Elin.

“Gabriel, how do you even know her?” Sam asked. That was the gigantic, monster sized elephant in the room. The question was never asked, and the brothers weren’t sure if it would ever be answered.

“I raised her from the young age of three. She was abandoned by her parents. They were Pagans.” He told them, not wanting to speak more about it. She never called him “dad”, and he never told her to. He almost made an effort to remind her that he wasn’t her dad. It didn’t matter he raised her, she wasn’t his daughter. But she was  _ his  _ daughter.

“We don’t need her, we have you.” Sam explained. “Pretty soon you’ll be back to fully charged.  _ Plus  _ we have the Archangel blade!” Dean nodded and opened the case that held the blade. It was empty.

“Son of a bitch!” He shouted and slammed the case on the table. “How did she take it without us noticing?”

Gabriel gave a faint smirk. “Taught her everything she knows.”

“Gabriel,” Castiel’s face was horror struck. This made the Archangel feel sick. “She betrayed Lucifer.”

“He’s going to kill her.” Gabriel shuttered. “She’s powerful, but not enough so to take on an Archangel. She’s barely without training wheels.”

“We need to stop Lucifer from killing her and stealing the blade.” Sam rose from his seat.

“I’m coming. It’s my fault she ran off. I won’t let her die because of me.” Gabriel announced.

“Fine, but you stay close. You’re already weak.” Dean grunted.


	5. The Blade

Elin had been waiting for him. When Lucifer arrived, she had a seat ready for him and everything. He walked into the abandoned building that didn’t seem so abandoned. The inside was nicely furnished with women in sexy costumes everywhere. Elin sat in a chair, a woman wearing a sexy nurse outfit was leaning against the arm of the chair.

“I see you inherited my brother’s… tendencies.” Lucifer didn’t know what to make of it.

Elin laughed. “Well, when you’re raised by somebody you tend to take after them.” She snapped and a woman in a devil costume appeared. “Come on, relax before you kill me.” The woman pulled Lucifer into a chair. Another woman, in an Angel costume, came up to Elin with a tray of ice cream. She took the ice cream and took a bite. Elin let out a delighted moan. “Gabriel will eat any type of ice cream, but I’m partial to chocolate and strawberry. Although, I will indulge in mint chip or rocky road.” She snapped her fingers and a tray of ice cream appeared in Lucifer’s lap. “Try some.”

“You’re stalling.” He stated. She nodded with a hum.

“You’re here to kill me. But, do you really want to do that?”

“I kinda do.”

“But if you kill me, you won’t get this.” She pulled the Archangel blade out of her pocket. Lucifer’s eyes widened.

“You stole it from the Winchesters.”

“I did.” She smirked. “Now, I’m willing to give this to you. If–”

“There’s always a catch with you Tricksters.” Lucifer smiles bitterly.

“If you spare me and Gabriel once you’ve remade the world however the hell you want it. But, you do understand I can’t just have you stabbing people randomly right? I need some insurance to make sure  _ I  _ don’t die.”

“And what insurance is that?” He tapped his chin, waiting for her response.

“I know where Jack is.”

Lucifer paled. “You… what?”

“I know where your son is. And if you keep me alive, I’ll tell you. Kill me, and you may never know.”

“I can still find out,” Lucifer replied. “With or without you.”

“But—” Elin used her thumb to remove some whipped cream that was on the corner of her mouth, “—how long would it take you to find him  _ without  _ my help? Weeks? Months? Possibly never? Why take the chance?”

“You could be lying.” He crossed his arms and glared at her. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”

She leaned forward and frowned. “What reason would I have to lie to you? Lying would just get me killed, which you plan to do anyway.” She stood and held out the blade for him. Lucifer removed the tray from his lap, stood, and went to reach for the blade when the doors to the building burst open.

Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Gabriel stood there. The youngest Archangel looked like he had seen better days. He used a part of his grace just to track Elin and if he used anymore he might pass out. He might pass out regardless, actually.

“Elin,” Gabriel spoke. “Don’t do this.”

“You double crossed us.” Dean hissed, angel blade in hand.

“Sorry, boys.” She sighed. “Gotta look after number one.” She handed the blade to Lucifer who grinned.

“No!” Castiel shouted. He charged at Lucifer. Lucifer took the Archangel blade and stabbed Castiel in the stomach with it. The Angel groaned as his shirt became soaked in blood. Everyone—except for Elin—held confused looks when the blade didn’t outright kill Castiel. It should have worked. Unless…

“You tricked me!” Lucifer screamed at the Trickster. “ _ Again _ !” Elin pulled the  _ real  _ Archangel blade out of her pocket and smirked.

“I knew you’d try to kill me with it, regardless of what I knew.” She winked. “Never trust a Trickster.” Snapping her fingers, Elin made everything in the room disappear. The knife that had been stuck in Castiel’s abdomen was now gone, and his vessel began to heal. “So…” Elin flipped the knife in her hand, “what would happen if I gave this to Gabriel?”

Lucifer growled, not wanting to risk anything. “I’ll get you, kid. Don’t forget my face.”

“Don’t forget mine.” Elin teased, her eyes dimly glowing gold. The old Archangel disappeared, leaving Elin and the men who attempted to rescue her.

“Give us the blade, Elin.” Castiel held out his hand. Sighing, she complied and placed it in his calloused palm. He took the blade and placed it in its rightful container until such time it is needed for its use. Sam and Dean gave her a wary look, unsure whether they should trust her. Castiel retreated for the Impala, Sam soon following suit, along with his brother.

Elin stood face to face with Gabriel, although her eyes were everywhere but. She couldn’t look at him. Not now.

“Elin–”

“Save it.” She hissed.

“Elin, we need to talk.”

 


	6. Home

Last time he had told her they needed to talk he was gone for a week. He came back, but the disappearance still wasn’t justified. But now that she was older, grown, with a better understanding of the world, those words terrified her.

“You haven’t told me those words since I was five hundred and sixteen,” she commented. “You said that you were going to be gone for a while and a week later you came back looking like death warmed over.”

“We  _ really  _ need to talk, though.” Gabriel sighed. “And I don’t think this is the most appropriate place. Let’s change that.” He snapped his fingers they were suddenly in a log cabin.

Gabriel’s stomach lurched as soon they appeared. He doubled over and vomited into the nearest trash can. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stood up straight, his face paler than previously.

“You should be resting and not using your powers. It’ll take weeks.” Elin didn’t know what he wanted. Or what he wanted to talk about.

“Screw that,” he spat. “We need to have a discussion like two serious adults.”

“There is something  _ very  _ wrong with that statement. Neither of us are serious adults.” She mused. “Where even are we?”

“Take a closer look, Gumdrop.”

Elin let out a small gasp and gaped at the sight. “Is this–” She cut herself off in disbelief. The cabin was in even better condition than she remembered it. The stairs were still in prime condition; the kitchen was spotless. There was no dust: not on the chairs or the coffee table. Not even the small dining table that was fit for two. It all looked so well taken care of.

Her eyes began to water. She couldn’t believe she back there. A lump formed in her throat.

“This place looks so–”

“Perfect?” Gabriel interrupted. Elin nodded and took shaky steps towards the staircase. She ran a hand up and down the dark wood of the railing.

“I remember when I was small and loved running everywhere. You’d always chase me up and down the stairs.” She sniffled a bit at the joy of the memory. “We only stopped because you fell down them once.”

“Chasing a small child wasn’t as easy as it seemed.” Gabriel laughed softly.

“I remember during the winter we’d sit by the fireplace,” she pointed at the fireplace behind her. “You would tell me stories of Heaven, and of your brothers. My favorite was when you created the Platypus.” She walked toward the coffee table. “We would play cards some nights, or try to guess what the other was drawing.”

“You were obsessed with dragons at one time.”

She nodded, remembering exactly when. “I remember that one time I stole a spellbook and transformed you into a dog by accident. It took forever to get you back to normal.” She looked at him, her eyes softer than what they had been minutes ago. She didn’t look like a stranger to him anymore. Gabriel saw the girl that he raised. “Why? Why did you keep this place so perfect and clean?”

“I figured you’d want to come back to it at some point. Every few months I’d clean it and make sure nothing changed, for your sake.” Gabriel stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I did build this for you, after all. Only seemed right I’d take care of it.”

“You built this? For me?” Elin didn’t know. She just thought it was some random cabin he had found.

He nodded. “I didn’t know a whole lot about kids but I knew they didn’t like to be dragged everywhere. I built this so you–so  _ we  _ could have a place to call home.”

“Gabriel,” Elin’s tone became bitter. “ _ You  _ were my home. My  _ family _ . And you abandoned me.”

“I didn’t abandon you.” He took a few steps towards her. “For the first time since I had found you, I was free. Not that I didn’t love you,  _ God _ , you were my daughter, of course I loved you. I didn’t have to worry about what would happen if I didn’t come back to you. You didn’t need me anymore.”

“I was always going to need you,” Elin said. Her voice grew hoarse and quiet. “I–I met them. My  _ real  _ parents. They didn’t want me. They said I was a mistake. After they told me—” a sob escaped her lips, “—I went to look for you. I needed to talk to you. To  _ see  _ you. But I couldn’t find you I assumed you felt the same as they did. I was just a  _ mistake _ . You had gotten sick of me!”

Gabriel pulled her to his chest and ran a hand down her back. He didn’t want to see her this upset, especially because he fucked up. Man, he really messed up.

“You’re  _ not  _ a mistake. Your parents were selfish and evil and they didn’t deserve you, Gumdrop.” She sobbed into his shirt but Gabriel hoped she heard what he was saying. “I messed up and I wasn’t there for you when I should have been. That was my mistake. But a day didn’t go by when I didn’t think about you. I was always worried if you were okay, where you were. If you were even  _ alive _ .”

“I heard you died,” Elin sniffled and mumbled into his shoulder. He was a good head taller than her. “I was never more lost. I heard from Māui who heard from Ares, who heard from Thor, who heard from Kalí. I couldn’t believe I was the last to know. It killed me.” She gripped his jacket tighter, knuckles going white. She held onto him like he was going to disappear again. “Everything was dull. The ring was a cold reminder. Nothing was very fun anymore.”

“I’m here now, okay?” He planted a kiss on the side of her head. “I’m here now, Gumdrop, and I’m not going to leave you.”

She nodded and loosened her grip. They pulled apart and she wiped her nose on her sleeve. Elin gave him a weak smile.

“I can’t believe you kept the ring. I’m surprised you hadn’t thrown it out.”

“It was a present from you. Of course I couldn’t get rid of it.” Elin smiled. “I’m sorry, Gabe. I’ve been a real ass.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry.” He wiped away a few stray tears on her cheeks. “Let’s just try and put this past us, alright? Start new?”

She nodded. “I don’t think Sam and Dean will be happy about two Tricksters staying with them.”

“They’ll get used to it. They got used to Cassie.”

“So, you’re staying?” Elin needed to make sure. She needed to know he was staying.

“Hells yeah!” Gabriel grinned. “I’m staying for good this time.”

“Good. If you didn’t I’d hunt you down myself and drag your ass back.” She put the back of her hand to his forehead. “You’re kinda warm. Let’s get you back to the bunker so you can rest up. Then see if you’ll eat.”

“Candy?” He gave her a smirk.

“Maybe. If Mary will let you. She’s totally gonna baby you.”

Gabriel frowned. “I’m a few millennia older than her and she’s gonna baby  _ me _ ?”

“You deserve it. But don’t worry. I’ll sneak you some candy.”

“That’s my girl.” He pulled her into a tight hug. “I love you, kiddo.”

Her chest welled up. “Love you too… dad.”


End file.
